CHAPTER 3
1 Forsooth the souls of just men be in the hand of God; and the torment of death shall not touch them.
2 They seemed to the eyes of unwise men to die; and torment was deemed the out-going of them.
3 And from just way they went into destroying, and that that is of us the way of destroying [or destruction]; but they be in peace.
4 Though they suffered torments before men, the hope of them is full of undeadliness.
5 They were travailed in a few things, and they shall be disposed well in many things; for why God assayed them, and found them worthy to himself.
6 He proved them as gold in a furnace, and he took them as the offering of burnt sacrifice;
7 and the beholding of them shall be in time of yielding. Just men shall shine, and they shall run about as sparkles in a place of reeds. [and in time shall be the beholding of them. They shall shine rightwise, and as sparkles in reedy places they shall run hither and thither.]
8 They shall deem nations, and shall be lords of peoples; and the Lord of them shall reign without end.
9 They that trust on him, shall understand truth; and faithful men in love shall assent to him; for why gift and peace is to his chosen men.
10 But wicked men, by those things that they thought, shall have punishing; which despised just thing, and went away from the Lord.
11 For he that casteth away wisdom and lore, is cursed [or is unhappy]; and the hope of wicked men is void, and their travails be without fruit, and their works be unhabitable, and unprofitable.
12 The women of them be unwitting [or unwise], and the sons of them be full wayward [or most wicked].
13 The creature of them is cursed; for why the woman barren and undefouled is blessed [or happy is the barren, and the undefouled], that hath not known the bed in trespass; she shall have fruit in the beholding of holy souls.
14 And a man unmighty to engender or beget, [or a gelding], is blessed, that hath not wrought wickedness by his hands, neither thought most wayward [or wicked] things against the Lord; for why a chosen [free] gift of faith shall be given to him, and a most acceptable [or most allowed] heritage in the temple of God.
15 For why the fruits of good travails is glorious, and the root of wisdom that falleth not down.
16 But the sons of adulterers shall be in destroying, and the seed of a wicked bed shall be destroyed [or outlawed].
17 And soothly though they shall be of long life, they shall be areckoned into nought; and the last eld age of them shall be without honour.
18 And if they be dead swiftlier [or if swiftlier they shall be dead], they shall not have hope, neither allowing in the day of knowing.
19 Forsooth wicked nations be of hard ending.